(TSX / STATS) — NEW YORK — Five nights ago, Danny Duffy enjoyed tremendous success with his slider against the New York Yankees and spent most of the game working with a lead.
This time, Duffy felt the fastball was extremely effective, though it took him longer to get a lead.
Duffy pitched seven solid innings, Jorge Bonifacio hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals slugged three homers against New York relievers in a 6-2 victory.
Duffy (4-3) picked up his second straight win over the Yankees by allowing two runs and six hits. The left-hander allowed a homer to Aaron Hicks on his fastball in the fourth and a homer to Chris Carter on his breaking ball in the fifth but kept the deficit at 2-0 by working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
“I felt like my heater today has been better than it has been all season” Duffy said. “I missed a couple of spots. The Hicks home run was right where I wanted it to be. He just went out and got it.”
Other than those home runs, he gave up little else and struck out seven, giving him 17 in the last outings against the Yankees.
Last week, Duffy’s teammates gave him a lead by the second inning but Tuesday the Royals did not go ahead until getting rookie Jordan Montgomery out of the game with two outs in the seventh.
Lorenzo Cain broke up the shutout with a home run to left field. After Eric Hosmer lined out, the Yankees went to Adam Warren (1-1). Warren gave up a single to Salvador Perez and on the next pitch, Bonifacio lifted a fastball over the right-field wall for his fourth home run in the last five games.
“I felt like I just got hurt on one pitch,” Warren said. “I felt like the pitch to Perez was a decent pitch and he found a hole and then just one pitch got me, but that’s the game. That’s what it is in those situations and you’ve just got to be a little better.”
Whit Merrifield added a solo shot in the eighth off Jonathan Holder and Mike Moustakas added a two-run drive into the second deck in right field off Chasen Shreve for the final margin.
“The guy was throwing the ball fantastic tonight,” Moustakas said. “We hit some balls hard and (they) made some great plays. We were finally able to get to their bullpen, got some good pitches to hit and put some good swings on it.”
Those home runs occurred after the Royals hit several balls in the air but not far enough. Kansas City recorded nine outs in the air against Montgomery and each of its home run hitters made outs via fly balls before homering.
“We just missed a couple of pitches but if I learned anything with this group, we never say die,” Duffy said. “We had ultimate confidence that we would be able to come out of it on top.”
The Royals tied a season high by hitting four home runs for the second time this season and have 13 through the first five games of the road trip.
New York lost for the eighth time in 13 games and Tuesday was the second time since the start of the 2013 season four pitchers allowed home runs in the same game. Still despite the meltdown by a group who began the game with a 2.67 ERA, manager Joe Girardi wasn’t second-guessing himself for lifting Montgomery before the seventh ended.
“It’s unusual because they have been so good, and they’ve done the job almost every time that we’ve called upon them and tonight just wasn’t their night,” Girardi said. “They all gave up home runs and we haven’t seen that but it’s going to happen from time to time.”
Before the bullpen faltered, Montgomery exited to a standing ovation after allowing one run and two hits in 6 2/3 innings. He equaled his longest start and did not issue a walk for the first time in his career.
NOTES: Yankees 1B Greg Bird (bruised right ankle) continued his baseball activities by taking ground balls during early infield practice. He reported no pain and could be a rehab assignment sometime next week. … The Royals are considering starting RHP Miguel Almonte on Thursday afternoon if RHP Nate Karns is unable to make the start. The Royals are considering placing Karns on the disabled list because of a forearm injury. … Yankees shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres made his Triple-A debut with Scranton/Wilkes Barre and went 1-for-3 while playing third base. … Kansas City C Drew Butera was hit in the elbow on a backswing by RF Aaron Judge with two outs in the fourth inning but stayed in the game.
Photo credit – Kathy Willens / Associated Press / New York, NY